Amy Rose Is Dead
by Jun Yamai Xavior
Summary: Amy has always been ignored by Sonic hundreds of times. But when Sonic goes too far into rejecting her, Amy goes into a deep depression, and she is later found dead in her room. Years have passed since then, and everyone thought that they could forget all about Amy's death. However, nobody expected the curse that she would bring to them.
1. Rejection

_**1\. Rejection**_

Cream - March 20, 2025

Before any of this insanity happened, everything was completely normal. My life was normal, my friends' lives were normal, and even "her" life was normal. But all of that changed when something terrible happened to my best friend. No, calling it "terrible" would be a major understatement; rather, it was traumatizing.

The whole story's really sad and depressing, and I'd hate to talk about it to anyone Heck, I'd hate to be reminded of it, too. But if you guys really want to hear about what happened, the here's the story:

It all began around the end of March when I was walking through the Station Square National Park with Amy Rose.

"I'm definitely going to win Sonic's heart this time," Amy boasted. "And that's because I have special to give him today!" As usual, she always saying how she loved Sonic and how she would get him to love her back. It's a monotonous thing she does, but as a good friend of hers I try not to be bothered by it.

"Really? What did you get Mr. Sonic?" I asked Amy.

"It's a bracelet I found in a jewelry store" She told me. "It was quite expensive when I bought it, but I think it perfect fits Sonic."

"Can I see? I want to know what it looks like." I was starting to get curious.

"Sure thing!" Amy took out a small box, no bigger than the palm of her hand, from her handbag. She opened the box up and displayed it to me.

"Wow, it's beautiful!" I exclaimed.

It was a silver clamper bracelet that was cover with small diamonds and sapphires. On the center of each side, there was a blue spinel attached onto the bracelet.

"You'll never guess how much money I needed to buy this...and how long it took me to make that much!" Amy told me.

"I'm sure you went through a lot just to get that bracelet." I replied.

"I hope Sonic likes it. Even if he isn't going to wear all the time, I really hope he appreciates it!"

Amy closed the box and put it backed into her handbag.

"When are you going to meet Mr. Sonic?" I asked.

"Oh, right! I need to go see him right now!" Amy turned tor run. "Sorry to cut off short Cream, but I have to go!"

"Wait, do you know where he is?"

"Yes, he should be somewhere around the Casinopolis District today! Well anyways, goodbye, Cream! Wish me luck!"

She told me to wish her luck. I think I should have done so.

Amy - March 20, 2025

With my heart beating like crazy, I was running fast. I really couldn't wait to meet up with Sonic. In fact, I've been waiting for this day to come!

My heart is beating fast. I'm so excited and anxious. But I have confidence in myself. I know this kind of stuff never succeeds, but this time I'm sure that I will get him to love me!

Finally, I arrived at the city limits of Casinopolis, and saw the guy of my dreams. He was right there, standing around the border. Happily, I dashed right to him.

"Hi Sonic! I'm so glad to see you today!"

Sonic just took one look at me, and went back to whatever he was doing.

"Oh, don't act like you didn't see or hear me...I've got something great for you this time!"

"As if..." Sonic mumbled.

"Hey, you don't have to be that negative. I'm sure you'll like it!"

"And a thousand bullets will come down like rain. Yah, I'm not buyin' it Amy."

I got annoyed by what he said. What's up with him today? He's being a bit obnoxious.

"Sonic, what' wrong?" I asked. "Did something happen between you and Shadow or Knuckles again?"

"Like it matters to you at all. Just let me be." He replied.

"Sonic, you don't have to talk like that!"

"So what? Do you think I care right now? Amy, just go away!"

"Sonic, please don't act like this. If something's bothering you, maybe I can help."

"You can start off by by staying away from me!"

At this point, I was getting frustrated with sonic. This was not like him. Something was definitely up.

"Look Sonic, I don't want to cause any trouble! The least you could do is just listen to-"

"Do you EVER shut up, Amy?! Just leave me alone for once!" Sonic shoved me onto the ground and then ran off.

"Sonic...why..." I was on the verge of tears. How could he do that to me? And why would he act like this?

"Wait...oh no..." As I got up, I noticed that I had landed on my handbag. I opened it and take out the bracelet...only to see that it broke into two pieces.

Tears fell down rapidly from my eyes. My heart had relieved itself, but now it started to hurt. I've been rejected so many times before, but this was just too much.

After I put the broken bracelet back into my bag, I decided to go home. There's no point of me being outside anymore.

Sonic - March 20, 2025

I'll admit I felt sort of bad for treating Amy like that. But I don't care. I already had my own problems to deal with, and I didn't want anyone bugging me.

But I just hope nothing extreme happens.


	2. Motives

_**2\. Motive**_

_Cream - March 25, 2025_

I haven't seen Amy since the day she went to go met up Mr. Sonic and show him that bracelet. Normally, I'd see her outside, taking a walk or hanging out with her other friends. But now, I don't see Amy anywhere. I've tried calling or sending a message to her, but she doesn't respond. It's been like this for five days, and I began worrying about her deeply.

Today I, alongside Cheese, decided to head on over to Amy's house. I wanted to make sure that Amy was alright. If she wasn't, then I'd do anything that would help her. But there was no way I would just forget about my friend.

As we were walking, I couldn't help but feel concerned for Amy. She would never seclude herself from anyone no matter how bad they might be. Even if Mr. Sonic rejected her, Amy would never go into isolation.

_Maybe something went wrong between the two_, I thought. _Maybe Amy's just cooling off abit after being turned down._

I kept hypothesizing what could have possibly happened, but each scenario was only I thought up of was only making me even more worried.

_What on Mobius could have possibly happened?_

After about ten minutes, I finally arrived at Amy's house. I knocked on the door a couple of times, but I get no response.

"Amy, are you home?" I knock on the door a few times. "Amy?"

Still no response. That was when I wondered: _Is she even in the house?_

I opened the door and let myself in the house. Yes, it might've been unwise to enter without permission, but at that point I didn't really care too much.

"Amy? Are you are here?" I called out. "Amy!"

The entire house was silent. Dead silent. I was becoming scared. It was strange and eerie that this house would be this quiet unless Amy was out or something. But then again, I haven't seen her anywhere at all, so where else would I start looking for her?

"Amy, if you're in here, please just show yourself! I just want to see you!"

All of sudden, I heard a door creak from above. It got Cheese's attention almost instantly, and he headed up before I could say anything.

_What was that? _I wondered. _Is Amy in her room?_

Without delay, I followed Cheese and ran up up the stairs. Though I was being a bit hasty, I wanted to see Amy. I wanted to see her badly.

"Amy, are you up there? If you can hear me, then please just say something!"

I got to the top of the staircase and, without forethought, barged into Amy's room.

I wish I hadn't entered in such an impulsive manner, because what I saw inside was absolutely horrible.

"Amy…?"

Hanging right in front of me was Amy's lifeless body. She was hanging from the noose of a rope she had tied to the ceiling fan. Her head was partially bleeding. The window was open, allowing the wind to calmy swing her body back and forth.

"No...Amy…" Tears filled my eyes and trickled down my cheeks. "Why?"

My legs trembled in fear and sorrow, and then I fell to my knees.

"Why...?"

After I found Amy's body, I phoned the police. They arrived within minutes, and the detective was questioning me.

"So, you found your friend hanging in her own room?" A detective asked.

"Yes..." I whimpered out.

"And the window was open when you arrived here?" He continued.

"Yes..."

The detective paused for a moment, and made his conclusion: "Well, from what we can tell from our findings and your claims, this case can simply be seen as a suicide."

I looked up at the detective's face. "Excuse me?" I said.

"Yes, a suicide." He replied. "From what it looks like, your friend, out of depression, attempted to kill herself by jumping out the window, but was able to survive the fall. She then took some rope and hung herself, and succeeded inending her own life."

"But how dow you know that she jumped out the window?" I asked concerningly.

"Well firstly, these are merely just presumptions," The detective continued. "Secondly, my assitant investigator and our officers found a small amount of blood just outside the window. That blood is presumably hers due to her head injury."

"Um...okay."

"You also mentioned that five days ago, your friend went out to meet up with Sonic the Hedgehog, right?"

"Yes, that's correct!"

"Alright, then. I guess we'll be tracking him down next. Thank you for the information."

"Your absolutely welcome, sir."

The detective was about to leave the room, but stopped and turned to me again.

"Oh, before we do so, let me give you some advice: don't just barge in or enter other people's home without permission or authorization next time. We could've had you arrested for breaking and entering, okay?"

As the two of us exited the room and then the house, I kept wondering: _Amy's been rejected hundreds of times, and she's always dealt with it. But she isn't the kind of person who would kill herself just for that reason - or for any reason at all! She would never resort to suicide. Right?_


	3. Remorse

_**3\. Remorse**_

_Miles "Tails" Prower - March 27, 2025_

When Cream informed me of what happened to Amy the other day, I could hardly believe what she was saying.

Amy hanging herself? No way! Amy was the most cheerful and energetic person I know! I mean, there have been times when Sonic dejected her, but no matter how harsh he might have been, Amy would never turn depressed, much less suicidal. Why, being rejected would only encourage her flirty and ecstatic behavior.

Anyways, besides telling me about the suicide, Cream came over to invite me to Amy's funeral.

"It starts tomorrow at noon," She said sadly. "You can come around that time, right?"

"I'll come, definitely," I replied. "I would never miss out on an important event like a funeral."

"T-Thank you, M-Mr. Tails..." Cream began stuttering and shedding tears as she talked. She was really taking this situation really hard. Amy was her best friend after all.

"Look, Cream... I know how you feel, and I'm sorry that this happened."

"You don't have to apologize..." Cream looked up as she sobbed. "It's...it's...it's n-not..."

At this point, Cream was really about to cry. I knew Amy's death really hit her, but I have never seen her this sad. She was almost inconsolable.

I just couldn't stand and watch Cream cry. So I extended both my arms out and gave her a gentle hug.

"Cream...please don't cry. It's going to be alright." I assured her. "Everything's going to be alright, okay?"

Cream wrapped her arms around me and started weeping over my shoulder. She held me tightly, as if she didn't want to let me go.

"I just c-can't believe Amy would hang h-h-herself, Mr. Tails. I _refuse_ to accept that it happened."

"I don't want to believe it either, Cream," I replied. "But if Amy's dead, then she's dead. I know she was really close to you, but denial won't revive her."

"I know, but it's just that I really _do _want Amy back. She didn't deserve death, even if she wanted it."

"Cream, it's tough, but you're going to have to move on without her. I know how you feel, but sometimes you can't let sad thoughts and memories be a burden to you."

Cream released me, wiped her tears away, and nodded.

"Anyways, thank you for the invitation." I told Cream. "I promise I'll come on time."

Cream sniffed. "I really appreciate it, Mr. Tails." She responded. "I'll see you then."

As Cream walked away, I continued pondering about Amy and her motives. It was really unlikely for her to kill herself, no matter how miserable she was.

But what really concerned me was Sonic's involvement in the situation. What kind of cruel act could he have possibly done to make Amy so depressed? I know he doesn't necessarily love Amy, but he's definitely not the kind of guy who would hurt her feelings.

_Sonic - March 27, 2025_

I don't want to face the world today. I don't even want to leave my home today. I just wanted to isolate myself.

Why wouldn't I? I did a horrible thing to Amy, and now she's dead. How can I, Sonic the Hedgehog, the hero of Mobius, possibly go outside and show my face to anyone when I did something wrong?

There isn't a single person I want to see right now. Not even Tails. The news about Amy's death is all over the city, so I'm pretty sure all my friends know of it by now. And since they (are the only ones who) know that I'm the reason for her death, everyone probably hates me for it.

This was what I meant when I said I didn't want things to become extreme. I should've fixed my relationship with Amy when I had the chance but i just let it break. I can't believe that-

"Sonic?" I turned to my left I saw my sister Sonia looking at me with a somewhat sorrowful look on her face. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay..." I told her. "I feel really guilty about what happened to Amy."

Sonia sat next to me on my bed. "Sonic...it isn't entirely your fault..."

"Yes it is, Sonia! Amy decided to hang herself all because I had to act like a complete jerk to her that day! I was the one who led her to depression, and now she's gone! She took her own life because of me!"

I covered my face in shame. "Sonia...please don't say things like that..."

Sonia softly wrapped her right arm around me. "Sonic, I...I only want you to not be upset, that's all," She told me. "It's just that you've been really down since Manic died, and Amy's suicide is making it worse for you."

My brother Manic. Now I remember why I was in such a bad mood that day.

About several hours before I saw Amy for the last time, Manic had also died. He had been diagnosed with tuberculosis a month ago, and his death really hit him deep. After Sonia told me he died, I became so upset that I wanted to be alone.

"I'm sorry that I made you feel worse, Sonic." Sonia continued. "Can you forgive me?"

"Sonia, it's alright. I'm not mad at you or anything. I know you care about me, but it's just that I don't feel right when you try to cheer me up like that."

Sonia nodded. "I understand what you're saying. Sometimes I feel that way, too."

_Sonia - March 27, 2025_

I really hope Sonic feels better soon. I don't want him to be like this all the time, but the situation is getting worse. First he has to deal with Manic's death, and now he has to deal with Amy's. It's so sad. I hope no one else dies like they did.


	4. Visions

_**4\. Visions**_

_Cream - ?_

_"Cream, please don't leave me..."_

_I turned around, but I saw no one behind me. Am I hearing things?_

_"Cream, no..."_

_No. I wasn't hearing things. I just heard someone call for me. But when I looked around, I couldn't see anyone in my sight. However, I felt the presence of someone near me._

_But then where is this mystery person?_

_"Cream..."_

_All of a sudden, a pink hedgehog appeared out of nowhere right in front of me. Startled, I gasped and backed away from her._

_"A-Amy? Is that you?" I asked the figure._

_"Cream...why would you let me die?" She said sorrowfully, ignoring my question._

_"Amy, I wouldn't!"_

_"Do you dislike me?"_

_"Amy, stop!"_

_"Why do you hate me? You're supposed to be my friend..."_

_"Amy, I am your friend! Please listen to me!"_

_Amy began vanishing slowly as she cried. Red tears, possibly blood, was dripping out of her eyes as she faded away._

_"Why Cream...?"_

_"Wait! Amy, don't go away!"_

_But it was too late. Amy had completely vanished. She was no longer in front of me._

_"AMY!"_

_Cream - March 20, 2036_

"...ream. Cream!"

I abruptly woke up from my dream (or to be more accurate, my nightmare) to someone calling my name out. I open my eyes and see my mother looking at me with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine, mom. What's the matter?"

"You were sweating and struggling in your sleep, dear. I thought something was happening to you."

Now that she mentioned it, I could feel sweat droplets run down ny head. I guess that dream I had just a few seconds really made me feel distressed.

"Oh, it's nothing mom." I assured. "Everything is fine. Really."

My mom sighed and told me, "Well if that's the case, you need to get up young lady! It's already 6:33!"

"What? Really?!"

"Yes! You need to get to school right this instance!"

I quickly got up from my bed and got dressed into my usual attire. I grabbed my bookbag and all the other supplies I need, and rushed to the front door. I've never been late for school, and I don't plan on being tardy today. Or ever for that matter.

"Okay mom, I'll be out!" I shouted to my mom. She just smiled and replied, "Stay safe and have nice day, Cream!"

I left my house and walked down the street. I know I woke up late, but the distance between home and the high school wasn't too far, so I wasn't in too much of a rush. Classes start at 6:50, but I usually arrived at the building in less than 10 minutes, so it really isn't a big deal.

As I walked, I kept wondering about what I dreamt about last night. I know it was only a surreal nightmare, but somehow it felt real. But then again, I guess people say things like that only because their dreams stain their minds like a blemish. Still, the way Amy appeared in my dream made me feel sad. She looked and sounded so distraught, I almost started tearing up halfway through the road just from thinking about it. Hell, remembering the dream alone made me feel sick. But what really bothered me was that last night was also the day she hung herself 11 years ago. What a disturbing coincidence that is! And it's upsetting enough to even wonder why it _had_ to be that day.

_Amy... I still miss you.._. _I don't hate you... If I knew, I would've stopped you from killing yourself. I would've done anything to-_

A pair of arms wrapped around me from behind, making me gasp. Since it happened suddenly, I almost quivered in a frightful manner. But before I could even move, I heard a soft and friendly voice say, "Hi Cream."

I turn my head around to my right and saw a familiar-looking fox smiling at me.

"Tails! You scared me!" I shouted.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to go that far," Tails replied innocently. "I just wanted to give you a little surprise, that's all."

"That still wasn't funny..."

"Hey, I said I was sorry! Don't be that mad!"

Tails had changed over the years. Unlike his younger self, Tails had become a lot more sociable and frisky than he used to be, much like Sonic. But he's still kind and caring, and, of course, has his intelligence as always. He's even gotten taller and much cuter than he used to be, too (...wait, did I really just say that?!).

"So Cream, I was wondering - are you free tonight?" Tails asked.

"Why? Are you planning on some sort of special event?" I asked back.

"No, not really. But I thought we could spend some time together? You know, with just the two of us."

I blushed and my cheeks flared red a little. Tails has never asked me out on anything before. This was the first time he's said something like this.

_Does he really like me that much? _I asked myself. _We've been friends for a long time now, but does he actually have feelings for me as well?_

I shrugged and said, "Sure, I guess I have the time. But why all of a sudden?"

"Well, it's been a long time since I did anything new and fun lately," Tails explained somewhat timidly. "So I thought that I could hang out with someone. I mean, I'd rather be with someone than be alone."

Tails was very coy when he talked. He sounded so adorable that I wanted to tease him a little. So I reached for his hand and clutched it tightly. That made his face bright red.

_Miles "Tails" Prower - March 20, 2036_

My heart started beating fast and I blushed hard when Cream grabbed my hand.

"Cream...could you...let go?" I requested politely.

"No way! This is what you get for startling me!" Cream giggled. "Besides, you didn't seemed embarrassed when you hugged me from behind."

Sure, what she just said was true, but I only did that as a small joke.

I tried to tug my hand away from Cream's. But she had such a tight grip that I eventually gave up and let Cream hold my hand.

_Wow… I guess I learned my lesson today… _I thought to myself. _Oh well, at least no one's around us._

All of sudden, Cream's hand became cold. Surprisingly cold. It was about 70 degrees outside, so it shouldn't be possible for anyone to drop their body temperature at a drastic rate. I glanced at our hands and noticed something odd. There was a lowercase "r" written in red on the back of Cream's hand. Why didn't I see that earlier?

"Cream, what's with the writing on your glove?" I questioned.

"What writing? " Cream looked back at me as if she didn't know what I was talking about.

"The letter on your hand. I'm talking about that."

"Tails, are you trying to make me let go of you? Cause I'm not going to until we get to school."

"Cream, just look at the back of your hand for a second."

Cream released my hand and examined her own. When she saw that "r" she looked quite surprised.

"Huh? I didn't write this!" She proclaimed.

"You didn't? Then why is it there?"

"I don't know! I don't remember ever writing this on my glove!"

"Calm down, Cream! It's nothing to be agitated about!"

I try to mollify Cream, but then I saw something disturbing on the palm of my left hand: it had become wet with some kind of dark red fluid. It was as if blood had splattered on my hand (I wasn't actually sure if there was any blood in my palm, though. But I could feel its wetness, so what else could it be?).

_What the hell?! When did MY hand become red?!_

"Yeah right, I'll be calm!" Cream shouted. "Tails, some creep could've done this to me! How I am supposed to be calm if that's the case?!"

Before Cream could notice my blood-red palm, I form my left hand into a fist and pulled it away from her sight.

"Cream, chill! There is no need to be paranoid!" I assuaged my friend. "Come on, let's just get to the school, and we can try to figure this out later. Okay?"

Although I tried to act like I was undisturbed, even I knew that the situation was weird. Why did Cream's hand turn cold, and why did she writing on it? Why did my hand turn red for no reason?

What the hell is going on?

_Vanilla - March 20, 2036_

After my daughter ran out the door, I became a little concerned for her. Cream has never overslept, so I worried that she might end up arriving to school late.

"I hope she at least makes it to the building in time," I said to myself. "Schools in this district have become strict towards students these days."

I didn't want to feel too nervous for Cream, so I switched my attention to tidying the house up. Since I haven't cleaned our residence in a while, I decided to freshen up the place before Cream gets back.

_Now, I wonder if that vacuum cleaner is going to work properly this time. _I thought as I walked to the utility room in the basement. _Last time, it kept breaking down every few minutes._

When I got downstairs, I flicked the light switch up. But the ceiling lights didn't come on.

I sighed and asked myself, "For goodness sake, do I need to replace the light bulbs?"

I almost turned back to go upstairs to get some new bulbs and a flashlight, but before I took one step something caught my eye. Although it was dark, my eyes were sharp and I could sometimes see in low-light areas.

At the end of the basement hallway next to the utility room door, I saw a figure sitting down on the floor. I could not tell whether it was a boy or girl, but it appeared to be a child around the age of 12 or 13. Its eyes were completely white; it had no pupil or iris. At least that's what it looked like.

_Who... or what is that? How and when did it get into my house, nevermind basement?_

Suddenly, the lights flashed on in an instant and brightened up the entire room. I thought that the lights would reveal what the figure was. But instead... it revealed nothing.

Literally, there was nothing in the hallway. No figure, no entity.

"Huh? What happened to that thing at the end?"

At first, I thought that it had escaped into the utility room, but that didn't make sense. Firstly, if that was the case then I would've heard that door open and close, but I didn't hear anything. Secondly, whatever was there was a good distance away from the door, and yet it disappeared in flash. It would be impossible for anything to go faster than light, I should've noticed the thing go in.

"Maybe I'm just losing my marbles," I told myself. "It was probably an illusion or something."

I decided to move on and took out the vacuum cleaner from the utility room. Even though I wanted to forget about it, I kept wondering whether or not what I saw was real. Whatever was at the end of hallway wasn't easily distinguishable, but it was visible and seemingly existent. But when the lights came on, that figure instantaneously disappeared in thin air. It was almost as if I was seeing things that were not actually there. This would mean that I was only seeing a mirage of some sort, and that there was nothing in the basement to begin with. I went along with that theory as it sounded more realistic than apparitions being in my residence.

But what happened next made me change my mind.

When I got to the top step, I was met with a horrible sight: to my left, there was a young hedgehog girl, whose skin was decaying, sitting on the couch. She had dark pink fur with red streaks going down her hair. Her red dress was tattered and ragged. She had completely white eyes, which had no expression or emotion in them. Any parts of her skin that was not rotted was pale, as if she was dead. This girl looked vaguely familiar, but because of her appearance I could not distinguish who she was.

I asked the girl in a frightened manner, "Who...what on earth are you?"

The girl looked at me in the eyes for a few seconds, and then immediately charged at me. The last thing I remember seeing before blacking out was her cold, lifeless eyes.


	5. Call

**In full honesty. I don't really like this chapter. Writer's block got the better of me and I ended up with this as a result.**

* * *

_**5\. Call**_

_Sally Acorn - March 20, 2036_

I looked the balcony of my bedroom. The sun was setting and the bright red-orange light it produced on the horizon was beautiful, but it isn't elegant enough to make me feel any better today.

Things haven't been going well between Sonic and me. There are several reasons why, but it's mostly due to financial problems. Ever since our marriage, we've had issues about money. At first, they were no big deal; there were times when we had struggles paying up our taxes and bills, times we owed money we've borrowed, and so on. But right now, we've been major debt to medical services and I've been laid off temporarily from my job as a logistician. Though I insist and assure him that we're doing alright and that there's nothing to be worried about (which is obviously, even to me, a lie), Sonic constantly begs to differ. We've been having arguments about the situation for about a month now.

Another reason why Sonic and I haven't been getting along is because he's always bothered by what happened 11 years ago. He still feels guilty that he made Amy hang herself. And this isn't just an average "chip-on-the-shoulder" kind of guilt. It's almost as if he has PTSD or something.

Now don't think of me as some heartless bitch or something, but Sonic really needs to let all of that go. I know that how dreadful and wretched it feels to cope with the death of a friend, but he's not going to get any further in life if he's always this gloomy. Sometimes I have to call his sister Sonia just to make him feel spirited, and even that doesn't always work out.

Anyways, all of the stuff that's been going on recently has been affecting our life in the worst way possible. It's even making Manik (yes, his name is derived from Sonic's deceased brother's name) downright nervous. He's afraid that our family is going to break down someday. I keep telling him not to worry and that everything's going to be alright, but even I don't believe in what I say.

"Oh, where did we go wrong?" I asked myself. "It wasn't suppose to be like this. It was meant to be joyous and bright."

I went back inside, pondering on what I should do. I don't want my family to keep on living this way. I want to change how things are right now. How am I suppose to that, though?

I hear the front door from downstairs open and then close. Manik's voice calls out, "Mom, dad, I'm home!"

I go down to see him. I haven't been able to relax for a long time because of all the issues, so maybe I can take Manik out to do something fun. I really need a break from all this stress.

"Welcome back, sweetie!" I reply back. "How was school today?"

"It wasn't anything special today. It was just the usual stuff like math and writing."

"That's great, Manik. I'm just glad that you seem to be doing well." I really wish Sonic was here with us right now. I want to have a little family time with everyone, and I know Manik would be happy if his father was with him. But sadly, today Sonic had "other business to take care of" or whatever.

"Say Manik, do you want to go out someplace today? I don't have any other plans for the afternoon."

"Okay, I'll go" Manik shrugged. "But where are we suppose to go, mom?"

"Well, let's see… we can visit to the National Park if you'd like."

"Oh sure! I haven't gone out for a walk there in a long time, so I guess we can go there. Is dad here? Can he come with us?"

My smile partially faded when he asked that. Sonic wasn't here, and it's been a while since he and Manik have spent some time together. I doubted that Sonic was available, but I didn't want to disappoint my son.

"Um...I don't know. He's not home right now. Do you want me to call him to see if he come with us?"

Manik nodded, implying that he wanted really wanted Sonic to come with us. So I picked up the home telephone, dialed his phone number, and waited for him to answer my call.

The phone kept ringing on the other side for the first ten seconds. Manik and I waited for Sonic to pick up and answer the call, but nothing happened. All I heard was the ringing sound and nothing else. It remained that way for thirty more seconds, and just as I was about to put the phone down the ringing stopped a voice called out, "Hello?"

"Hey Sonic, I was wondering if you could come home right about now." I greeted with slight relief. "You see, Manik and I-"

"Hell? Is anyone on? Hello?"

What? What is he saying?

"Sonic? What's wrong?"

"Um... Is anyone on the line?"

What's happening? Am I being disconnected? I was speaking in the phone and I can hear Sonic clearly, so why can't he hear me?

"Sonic? Sonic!" I called out.

"Sally? Is that you?" He finally responded.

Oh Sonic! Thank goodness I was able to get to you! Anyway, I was wondering if you could come home now."

"Hmmm... I don't know. What's the matter?"

"Well, Manik just came back from school, and we were just about to-"

Before I could finish sentence, a loud, high-pitch buzzing noise screeched from the phone,startling me. I moved the phone away from my ears so I wouldn't be deafened from the awful noise.

"My goodness! What is up with this thing?"

Thinking that the phone was defective, I was about to hang up and forget about tagging Sonic along.

Immediately after I hung up, the answering machine received a new message. At first, it was just white noise playing, then it became silent. The message kept recording, but not a single sound could be heard.

"Mom, what's going on?" Manik asked.

"The phone's probably broken," I told him.

"So Dad isn't coming?"

"Sorry Manik, but I guess so. We'll just leave without him if that's okay. Now why don't you go upstairs and put your backpack away?"

Manik disappointingly went upstairs. What a shame... He was really anticipating for his father to come.

The message continued to record, but it still didn't produce any noise. I was about to pick the phone and hang up again just so the recording would stop.

But right before my hand touched the handset, sounds of raindrops started playing from the answerig machine. Now curious and suspicious, I decided to let the message resume to find out if there was someone on the other side.

That was when something frightening happened.

After listening for a few more seconds, I heard a feminine voice crying. It was strange, because whoever was on the line sounded extremely sad; it was like she had sobbing for a very long time. But that was not the disturbing part. In the background, I could vaguely hear whispering among the girl. I listened to it more closely, and I could make out someone saying "kill you, kill yourselves" over and over. Finally after about ten seconds of that, the message stopped.

I was clearly disturbed by this. This was the strangest and creepiest thing I've ever heard from the answering machine.

_This has to be some kind of prank,_ I simply thought. _There is no way that it was some technical error._

Shortly after, I heard banging from Manik's bedroom upstairs. Concerned, I went up to investigate.

"Manik?" I called out. "Are you okay?"

Manik didn't answer. I got to the top step and walked up to his bedroom door. What was he doing in there?

"Manik, you know I don't like it when you don't respond." I called out again. "Is something wrong?"

I opened the door and entered his room, only to find no one inside. At this point, I was really scared now.

"What the hell is going on?" I said to myself. "Where's Manik?"

Suddenly, something wrapped around my face, blocking my vision completely. I tried to scream, but it also covered my mouth, preventing me from making any loud noises. I struggled to fight back, but whatever was grasping me restrained my arms. I couldn't move. I couldn't even see what was happening.

_Oh god no! What is this?! Am I being kidnapped?! _My mind cried frantically. _Who's doing this to me?!_

As I struggle I heard giggling from behind. It sounded like a girl's voice, but I couldn't tell. Then someone whispered to me, "Goodbye, Sally. Goodbye forever."

_Sonic - March 20, 2036_

I wonder what that call was all about. It sounded like had something important to talk about, but there must have ve been some interference with he signal. It sounded like she couldn't hear me. Well, whatever the issue was, I hope she and Manik are doing alright.


	6. Sign

_**6\. Sign**_

_Cream - March 20, 2036, 2:58 P.M._

As I walked home, I kept wondering about what Tails discovered on my hand this morning. it was really, really weird. I don't have a single clue as to why there was writing on my glove. I wasn't the one who wrote it, and I am definitely sure that it wasn't there last night. Since it was red, I checked to took off my glove to check to see if I was bleeding. But there was no such injury on the back of my hand. So how did that little 'r' appear?

I look at the back of my hand again. Sure enough, it was still there. I had tried to wash it off in the bathroom sink during school, but it didn't disappear. The 'r' just remained on my glove.

"I should stop thinking about it. It's making my head all ditzy." I told myself, sighing. "I'll just change gloves when I get back home."

I figured there's no point in trying solve something that wasn't really bothersome. It'd be just a waste of time.

A couple of minutes later, I arrived at my house. I went inside and called out, " Hey Mom, I'm home!" There was no response

"Mom? Are you home?" Still no response. It was quiet inside. The only noise I could hear was the ticking of the living room clock.

_Where is she? _I wondered. _She usually never leaves the house while I'm out at school._

I walked around the house, searching for Mom, but she was nowhere to be seen. However, when I walked into the kitchen I found a written note on the counter. I picked it up, and it read:

_Cream,_

_Sorry I'm not here right now._

_Had to leave to buy some things._

_I'll be back home soon._

_~ Mom_

I put the note aside and thought to myself, "I guess she went in a hurry. I don't know what we would need right now, though."

Since I didn't have anything to do for the rest of the day, I decided to go to my room to do some studying. There was going to be a big test for pre-calculus the next day, and I didn't want to fail it. So might as well use up my time wisely.

_Cream - ?_

This area is dark. Pitch black. It was also completely silent. Not a single noise could be heard. I couldn't see or hear anything at all. It was like I was inside some kind of black hole or something. Come to think of it, where the heck am I?

I tried to shout something out, but no sound came out of my mouth. No, it's not like the usual "I want to say something, but I just can't spit it out" kind of thing people have when they're in anxiety. I literally could not hear my own voice. It was as if I was in a silent film.

I didn't know what to do. I extended my arms forward and walked around to see if I could find some kind of switch or something to lighten the place up. But I didn't feel anything. In fact, there seemed to be no boundaries in the area. I walked on for about 5 or 6 minutes, but I didn't make contact with a wall or anything. Was I in some kind of void?

Regardless of where I was, I needed to get out of here. It's only been about a couple of minutes, and I was already starting to grow incredibly anxious. But how? I couldn't see in this darkness, and I couldn't hear anything, either. It was impossible to navigate through this place.

But I had to escape somehow. I had to, one way or another.

I continued walking forward until I finally bumped into what seemed to be a door. I found the knob, turned it, and opened the door to the other side.

_Is this the exit? _I asked myself as I entered. _Is this the way out of this darkness?_

But it was not an exit. Rather, what I entered upon was another room. This one, however, was brightened up, allowing me to see inside.

When my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw a horrifying sight. In front of me was a dead body hanging from a noose over a bed. That body was none other than Amy. her eyes were open, yet they weren't looking at anything. Her mouth was wide open in a silent scream as if she was taking her last breath. Her corpse was swinging slowly and gently, but there was no wind to be felt.

It was paralyzing just to look at Amy. I couldn't move. I wanted to turn around and run, but the mesmerizing sight of her corpse made me immobile.

Suddenly, I heard someone's voice from my left. I turned my head to see a black figure in the corner of the room. It had a pair of red, menacing eyes and a masculine body. It had no visible mouth, but it was making some kind of indiscernible whispering. The thing had its head down looking at the floor.

I didn't know what to do. For a few moments, I just kept quiet. But afterwards, I worked up the courage to speak and asked, "What are you?"  
The thing immediately looked up at me and began walking forward. As he came closer, it took out a knot of rope from behind and said to me in a distorted voice, "She's waiting for you. So why not hang with her?"

_Cream - March 20, 2036, 6:23 P.M._

I woke up from my nightmare to the sound of something break in the living room. Good grief… never have I been so glad to be awake from dreaming. This was the second nightmare I've had in a row. Not to mention that it had Amy in it again.

"Geez… what is up with my dreams lately?" I asked myself, yawning. "Why am I seeing her? Is it solely because today's the day she died?"

Forget it. I don't want to think about it one bit. My day started out stressful enough already, and I wasn't going to make it worse.

I got up and went downstairs to investigate the living room. I stumbled upon a ceramic vase that fell off the bookshelf and broke into pieces. Small debris was all over the floor, and even some of it was by the door.

"Oh no... I can't believe that vase fell over and smashed to the floor. It was expensive, and mom's gonna be pretty distressed."

Come to think of it, I noticed that mom _still_ wasn't home. I looked at the clock above me, and it read 6:23. Where was she at a time like this?

Anyway, I got out the sweeper and dust tray from the basement, and collected the pieces off the floor. After I put them in the trash, I picked up the broken vase and went out to put in the garbage bin. What a shame. Despite being just another luxury, the vase was undeniably an elegant work of art; it had blue sages and red roses around it, with golden stripes circling around the bottom. My mom and I really liked the design, and that's why we bought it in the first place. But now that it's gone, it feels like it was just a waste.

Then I realized something weird: how the heck did the vase fall over to begin with? That question struck my mind like an arrow. If there was no one in the house besides me, then who or what caused it to fall?

"So many creepy things are happening today..." I uneasily said to myself as I went back inside. "What on earth is happening?"

I was afraid that there was a burglar in the house, but it was _way_ too quiet. If there was an intruder inside, my ears would've heard him.

I headed back to my room with the feeling of anxiety and slight fear. I didn't know what to think. First, it was my nightmare from last night. Next, it was this little "r" on my hand (which I had forgotten to replace). Then, it was my second nightmare. And now, it was this broken vase moment. All of this was just bizarre. Why is all this happening, and what's causing all these things?

Since Amy's death, I've been having an ordinary life. But I don't understand why things are taking a turn in such an odd fashion today.

Then I thought, _Maybe it's all coincidental. Maybe I'm just being too stressed and that's why I'm making such a big deal about this. I'll just go back to studying for a couple more hours and call it a day. I'll go to bed a bit early, and wake up next morning to find everything back to normal. Mom will be home by then, and I'll just go to school like usual. Everything will reset when tomorrow comes._

But unfortunately, it was not going to reset. This was where my life took a drastic turn. It was going down a path that would forever traumatize me. None of those dreams and moments were coincidental. They were signs of "her" arrival and "her" presence.

Immediately when I returned to my room, I noticed something odd. On my desk was an dark-red envelope that was open. Nervous, I picked it up and found a letter inside. It read in bold letters:

**Closet**

This really freaked me out. I didn't know how this ended up here, nor did I know who it was from.

I looked at my closet, and the door was closed shut and undisturbed. I slowly walked towards it with a sick feeling in my stomach. I was really scared.

_Was someone or something inside my closet?_ _What's going to happen if I open the door?_ These thoughts fluttered in my head as I approached closer to door. Once I was in front of it, I just stood still for a few moments.

I couldn't decide whether to open the door or not. I was too nervous and frightened to do so. What if there was something on the other side? What if it was something dangerous? What would I do?

I remember when I was very young - around 4 or 5 years old - I was one of those kids who thought that there was some kind of terrifying monster or apparition in my closet during the night. You know, like one of those "boogeymen" little children believe in that don't have any real description but are still fearful in some way. now I know it's silly to believe in something like that for my age, but that was how I felt: like a small child being fearful of the monster inside her seemingly harmless closet.

Eventually I built up some courage inside myself and grabbed onto the doorknob. Without hesitation, I then swiftly swung the door open.

What I saw inside was the most horrifying sight I have ever seen in my life.

A tall, bloody skeleton was hanging from the hook on the wall. The noose was tied firmly around its neck. Its head was surprising clean, but the clothes it was wearing was covered in blood.

Underneath the skeleton was a message, presumably in blood, reading:

**HOPEFULLY I'LL BE SEEING YOU SOON!**

Right above the message was a ring. Upon closer examination, I noticed that it was a gold claddagh ring with a tiny emerald in the center.

That was my mom's ring. She was always wearing it. She was even wearing it just this morning.

That could only mean…

The corpse was Mom.

…

…

…

I screamed.


	7. Invitation

**Sorry for lon time to update. I apologize in advance if this turns out to be a disappointing chapter, but I didn't really know how to write it out. I promise you guys that this chapter isn't a pointless one filled with useless information d****ump and that it will be important later on in the story.**

* * *

_**7\. Invitation**_

_Sonic - March 22, 2036, 4:20 P.M._

I haven't seen Sally nor Manik since I got back home last night. I'm getting really worried.

I've looked everywhere for them for the past several hours nonstop, but I couldn't find even a hint of where they could be. I've looked around the house, around the city, but neither of them were anywhere. I tried calling Sally, but she wouldn't pick up.

So yesterday morning - around 9:30 or so - I filed a report for missing persons to the police department. I don't know if they'll help me out, but at least I won't be searching alone.

Hopefully neither of them are hurt or dead. Hopefully I'll find them soon. They mean so much to me. I don't want lose them. Not like how I lost my brother.

Sally and Manik didn't leave me. That was for sure, though. They would _never _abandon me for _any_ reason. Sure, these times are hard, but there would be no need to separate or anything. I love them. We could manage to stay together. We're a family after all.

And yet... right now, there was no one. No one but me. And it'll stay like that until I reunite with them. I am not going to let this go unsolved. I am going to find my wife and son, no matter how long it'll take me.

But... where do I begin? There aren't any clues around that could help me. In fact, there's no trace of them being anywhere in the mansion or out the yard, front and back. It was as if they just vanished into thin air or weren't even in here to begin with.

When I came back home, the front and back doors were locked, and there was no sign of forced entry. All the windows were shut tight, making it nearly impossible to open from the outside, but none of them were neither open nor broken. If someone had kidnapped Sally and Manik, then how did they enter the building?

Damn it, I can't believe I'm already stuck! What am I supposed to do if I can't find any hint to this case? No witnesses, no signs of struggle or breakage, nothing! Why does it have to be like this?! I can't solve something like this!

But still, I am not giving up. I can't give up. Especially not this soon. This cannot go unsolved.

Just then, I hear someone knocking on the front door.

"Who could that be?" I wondered. I don't usually have people coming to my home unless they're guests that were invited here. I go and open the door to see who was there.

It was my sister, Sonia. She looked concerned.

"Hi Sonic," Sonia greeted. "May I come in? I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I'd come in advance."

"It's fine, I don't mind at all," I told her. "Just come on in."

As Sonia entered, I noticed that she was the only one that came. I asked her, "Where's Molly? You didn't bring her over with you?"

Molly is Sonia's daughter. She's almost always with her, so it's very rare for them not to be together. In fact, I don't remember a single moment where the two aren't with each other.

"No, Molly isn't with me. She's with her grandmother right now." Sonia told me. "It's, ... it's just me today..."

I closed the door behind her. "Oh, well that's quite... uncommon," I remarked. "Anyway, what brings you here? Is something up?"

Sonia looked at me and said, "Well, I heard about what happened to Sally and Manik. How both of them went missing. I was just so worried that I wanted to check up on you."

"Oh, just that? Thanks for your concern then, I guess," I replied. "I really hope it gets resolved soon."

"Is there any way I can help?"

"Um… No, not really… I mean, I appreciate your offer, Sonia. I really do. But I know you have your own family to take care of, and I don't want to hinder that."

"It's not too much trouble, Sonic." Sonia retorted. "I might be the only one besides mother caring for Molly, but I am doing just fine on my own."

I looked at her in question. "What do you mean 'on your own'?" I asked her. "Are you still not doing well with-"

"Sonic, it's just me!" Sonia interrupted, immediately becoming frustrated. "It's… it's just… there's no one else. It's only me."

I immediately retracted and realized it wasn't a good idea to bring up her "other half" to the conversation.

"Sonia, I'm sorry!" I told her "I didn't mean to upset you."

Sonia's eyes waned and she calmed down. "Oh, I'm sorry too, Sonic. I shouldn't have overreacted like that." She said.

"Look Sonia, it's okay. But really, you should stay with Molly right now. She's your daughter after all. You're just lucky Mom was available today."

"Are you sure about this? You'll try to find Sally and Manik on your own? Won't it be difficult, though?"

"Yeah, I'll be alright. Besides, I'm the fastest thing on this planet. I'm sure I'll find them soon enough. But if I ever do need help at any point, I'll contact you, okay?"

Sonia nodded in cooperation. "Alright... Then I guess I should leave now..." She said sentimentally. "But I'll always be there for you when you need me, okay?"

"I got it, sis," I responded. "I won't forget that."

Sonia's lips formed a weak but sincere smile and she hugged me. Then she said to me, "I'll see you soon, Sonic." before leaving.

A part of me felt bad for dismissing Sonia. She was just trying to help but I refused her offer, and I doubt I will find Sally and Manik on my own. (_Fastest thing on the planet..._ _How is being physically fast going to help if I don't know where the two are?_) But Sonia's a struggling mother, and I believed that taking care of her own kid should be more important to her.

Sometimes I wonder if Sonia genuinely cares for Molly. Now, I'm not implying that she hates her, but it just seems to me that she's more concerned about everyone else than Molly. Now that I think about it, Molly _is _an illegitimate child that Sonia didn't intend to have.

But I really hope that isn't the case. Sonia's a selfless and hospitable person, and she would never abandon anyone she was close to - unlike the jackass that impregnated and left her in the first place.

_Vrrr-vrrr… vrrr-vrrr…_

I heard something vibrate in the living room. I quickly moved towards the source and saw that Sally's phone was vibrating. I picked it up and read the caller ID: "Sally - XXXXXXXXXX

_What the heck? Why does it say that? _I questioned myself. _Is this a different Sally?_

Out of confusion, impulse, and curiosity, I answered the call. "Hello? Who is this?" I asked. "Hello?"

I was met with complete silence. It remained like that for about a minute. I was just about to hang up until I heard someone's voice on the other end. It sounded like a little girl giggling.

"Sally? Is that you?"

At first, there was no reply. After a moment, the girl said in a distorted voice, "Hi Sonic… are you looking for Sally and Manik?"

"Who is this? How do you know who I am?!" I demanded. "What did you do to my family?!"

"Ha… if you want to know, I'll stop by. Good luck… hehehe…"

The girl hung up.

_Who… what the hell was that? And what did she mean by "stop by"?_

Almost immediately afterwards, I heard knocking on the front door again. Confused, rushed to answer it.

_Is it her, whoever was one the line?_

I swung the door open, only to find no one outside. I looked around and saw that there was a letter had been placed on the welcome mat. I picked it up, closed the door behind, and opened the envelope.

Inside was a leaflet reading:

**COME JOIN **

**THE ANNUAL SPRING FESTIVAL EVENT**

**THERE WILL BE LOTS OF FUN ACTIVITIES**

**FOR EVERYONE OF ALL AGES**

**HOST LOCATION: **

**STATION SQUARE NATIONAL PARK**

**TIME AND DATE:**

**MARCH 23, 2036 - 4:20 **

**DON'T MISS OUT!**

"So this person wants me to come to this event…" I said to myself. "Well, I guess I'll go then… she seems to know something about what happened to my family. If it'll help find them, I pay her a visit myself."

I put the leaflet away. Looks like I'm going to be following my first clue tomorrow.


	8. Flashback

**WELL SHIT. IT TOOK HALF A YEAR TO MAKE THIS CHAPTER AND IT DIDN'T TURN OUT TO BE WHAT I WISHED IT WAS.**

**I had no ideas for what to do in this part. I am so sorry about that. The quality of this story is going downhill, but I promised that I'll try to make it up in future chapters. I've come this far to abandon this story, so there's no excuse for giving up.**

**Anyways, please enjoy.**

* * *

_**8\. Flashback**_

_Miles "Tails" Prower - March 23, 2036, 1:11 P.M._

I'm really worried for Cream right now. I figured that her mother's abrupt death would hit her really hard, but it's a lot worse than I imagined. She's been staying in my house (for your information, I'm old enough to live on my own) for the past three days, and she rarely speaks anymore, even to me. I want her to be okay, but I don't know what I should do. Most of the time, she just shuts herself away in the spare guest room without a sound. I've never seen her this inconsolable before.

_This is awful… if this keeps up she might end up hurting herself…_

I opened the door and enter the guest room. "Cream, I'm coming in." I softly call out. I was met with silence. I look and see Cream sleeping soundly on the bed, while Cheese on the other hand was nudging her to wake up. I guess he thought I wanted to talk to her, but I only wanted to check up on her.

"It's alright, you don't need to wake her up." I said to him. "If she's asleep, then I'll go."

But Cheese kept nudging and Cream woke up, her eyes blinking tiredly.

"Oh, Cream… are you okay?" I asked. "Sorry if you didn't want to get up right now… I just wanted to make sure you're fine."

Cream didn't say anything. She didn't even look up at me or Cheese, who was floating beside her with a concerned look on his face.

"Cream, do you want me to get anything while you're up? Or do you want me to leave?"

Cream slowly turned her head and looked up at me. But she kept silent and, after a while, faced away.

"Do you need anything?" I asked her a second time. "Is everything alright?"

Cream replied in a mumbling voice, "No… nothing…"

Relieved that she finally spoke, I made a tiny smile and told her, "Okay then… I'm glad you said something today… You don't really speak that much anymore, so I was really worried. If you do need something, you can always come talk to me, alright?"

I was about to leave the room, but before I made my exit, Cream called out, "Wait! Can… can I ask a question?"

Surprised, I turned around and walked back towards her. "Huh? What's the matter?"

I sat beside her on the bed. I was very intent to listen since she hasn't raised her voice much.

"Well… I wanted to know…" Cream began. "Did anything happen to you after school three days ago? Like, anything weird?"

Perplexed, I answered, "What? What do you mean 'weird'?"

Cream shrugged a little and continued, "Like, did you notice anything unusual occur? As if it was something unexplainable?"

I briefly felt stifled upon being asked. I still remember the time when that mysterious fluid appeared on the palm of my hand. Believe it or not, I wasn't able to get rid of the stain it created on my glove. But that's not the eerie part: every time I changed my glove, the red stuff would always resurface and stain my new one. It wouldn't feel wet anymore, but simply looking at it was morbid enough. I started wearing red gloves just so I can stop seeing it. The stain has darker shade, but it's barely noticeable on my new gloves.

Anyway, I decided not to say anything about it to Cream because I thought she wouldn't believe me. So I told her, "Um, nothing worth noting has been going on. Why do you ask?"

Cream didn't respond and was hesitant to speak, but I could tell that something other than her mother's death was bothering her.

"Cream, are you alright?" It seemed like a dumb question, but I couldn't think of anything else to ask. Either way, Cream still didn't answer.

"Look, I know you're having a hard time now, but I want you to feel better. You can tell me anything, okay?"

Cream still kept silent for a moment, but then she nodded. "Before I found my mom dead in my closet, strange things started happening around me." She started. "Remember that little red writing on my hand earlier this week? I think that was just the beginning… when I got home, I noticed that my mom was missing, but then I found a note saying she was out… I don't believe it was my Mom that wrote it, though. Anyway, a few hours later, a vase that was on my a bookshelf fell off by itself. And finally - I'm not sure if your know this - but someone had placed a letter on my desk telling me to check my closet… and that's where I found my mom's body."

I was a bit stunned by Cream's story. Given the uncanny nature of it, maybe she would've believed me if I told her about my gloves.

"That is pretty strange," I replied.

"But y-you know what makes this unnerving?" She continued. "On that day and the day before I had a couple of nightmares. They were both about Amy a-and how she killed herself nearly a decade ago."

"Whoa,hold up Cream! That's pretty disturbing of you to think that your bad dreams have to do with any of this." I exclaimed. "You're saying you saw these nightmares before you found your mom was dead, right? Dreams can come from past experiences, but they don't necessarily predict the future or anything like that."

"You really think so? You think it was coincidental?" She asked me.

"Listen, I understand that this is creepy and all, but you can't just conclude that some kind of haunting is going on around you just because you had some nightmares right before any of this even happened."

Cream looked down. "I guess I can't say that you're wrong... But, it's still really unnerving. I'm just scared of what might happen next." She mumbled.

"Don't worry. From here on, I won't let anything bad happen to you. Once all of this is settled, everything will be alright. I promise you that."

_Cream - March 23, 2036, 1:16 P.M._

I wonder if Tails really believes me. Given how he's like a freethinker, I really doubt it. The whole story sounds crazy, and even I find it hard to believe as well. But every part of it is true.

Please, let this come to an end soon.

_Cream - March 23, 2036, 9:55 P.M._

I lied in bedroom wide awake, even though it's late. Since Amy's funeral, I keep recalling this memory about my aunt Fresa.

About a year before Amy died, my mom and I attended a funeral for aunt Fresa. She had killed herself after her boyfriend (I don't remember his name) left her. Back then, I was too young to fully understand the situation. After the funeral was over, I asked Mom why aunt Fresa was gone, and she simply told me that things didn't go well for her so she ended her life. Then I asked her why she took her own life, and she refused to answer. She said that it was not an appropriate subject for a girl my age to talk about. I convinced her otherwise though because it was her sister and my aunt we were discussing about.

"Your aunt became very sad because she was hoping she would marry her boyfriend," Mom explained. "When he left her, she believed that she could never love again, and that's why she took her own life."

"But didn't Aunty still have the choice to live on?" I questioned. "Why would she decide to die if she could do that instead?"

"I don't know, sweetie. It's something many people do when sadness overcomes them." Mom continued. "It's awful, yes… but sometimes that is how things go."

Since then, what my mom explained to me that day has stuck onto my mind. It's a sad memory, but it's also an important, life-changing one that I should never forget. I think just about anyone would feel the same way if they had a time like mine.

Anyway, I was especially shocked when I saw that Amy had hung herself in her room. To me, she was probably the happiest person ever to live on this planet. Nothing could bring her to a deep depressing state. Even if she did end up in depression, she would always spring right back up in her usual cheerful mood after a day or two. Suicide would have been the last thing you could expect from her.  
So why - after all she's been through with trying to become Sonic's girlfriend - would Amy suddenly commit suicide? My only guess is that Sonic had pushed things too far that time and really hurt her feelings. But even then, it still would've been unlikely that she would start to hurt, let alone kill herself.

Since then, I've sometimes compared Amy's suicide to my aunt's. Amy got a broken heart because someone she loved rejected her, just like my aunt. She took her own life by hanging because of it, just like my aunt. Worst of all, she had the option not to do it, just like my aunt.

And, just like my aunt, she is never, _**ever**_, coming back.


	9. Suffer

_**9\. Suffer**_

_Sonic - March 23, 2036, 5:30 P.M._

The entire trip was a waste of time.

I came to the festival at 4:20 P.M. today, and I didn't noticed any suspicious activity going on for the entire time. The things that were going on around this place are the usual party stuff you'd see in any typical festival: photo booths, inflatables, sports like tennis or basketball, face paint and tattoos, you get the idea. I did see a group of people smoking pot at the entrance, that was pretty much the only illegal thing that was happening (the ban on cannabis isn't really enforced around this city anyway). Other than that, everything seemed completely normal.

I wandered around for probably hour before leaving the place. At that point, I concluded that I had no reason to be here at all. Nothing special or mysterious was going on as far as I could see, and looking for clues in there was a waste of time and effort. I bet someone was toying with me yesterday by leading me to random places and making me do pointless things. Otherwise, I would at least find _some _kind of hint of what happened to Sally and Manik.

So now I'm just heading back home. I mean, what was the point of being there? I made zero progress in finding my family. All the time, I thought, _Who or what am I looking for? Why am I even here? Is this little trip suppose to help me?_ And in full honesty… I have no idea.

I actually don't have any hints, clues, or leads to what _exactly _happened to Sally and Manik. Neither have I nor the police really determined the case to be a kidnapping or an abduction, so it's just a plain old "missing persons" case. In other words, they "just vanished" to them. The only thing I got that could be considered a clue would be that flyer promoting the festival I got yesterday, and that turned out to be a red herring. That girl had told me on the phone that she was stopping by at my house just before the flyer was delivered, so there had to be some connection between those two events.

So what was the reasoning behind all that? It didn't seem like the festival was in any way significant to my current situation. So what was she planning on doing. Is she just trying to distract me from finding my family, or is she playing some despicable joke? Either way, it's infuriating and unforgivable.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I went to the festival and came back home with nothing at all. What a pointless excursion that was.

_Bleep-bleep! Bleep-bleep!_

My phone went off and I checked the caller ID: "Sonic - XXXXXXXXXX"

Immediately I thought, _This strange number… it must be that girl from yesterday!_

I quickly answered the call, anticipating some cryptic message. Maybe this time this girl will clear up a few things.

"Hello? This is Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

The first thing I heard over the line was someone crying. However it was, she sounded very solemn. I waited 30 seconds before saying, "Hello, who is this?"

"You ignored me…"

"Huh? What did you say?"  
"You ignored me again…"

"Ignore? I'm going to ask again - who is this?"

"Of course you would… that was you at the park, wasn't it?"

"What? Yeah, I was at the park."

"I was behind you the whole time… since you arrived…"

"Okay, for the last damn time, who are you?! Did you do something to my wife and son?!"

"Of course… you ignore me all the time…" The girl's voice turned from saddened to angry. Not only that, but it started sounding familiar.

_That voice… I've heard that voice before… but where have I heard it from?_

"Not only that… but you were always degrading me."

_Degrade? Is this person someone I know? Did I hurt her in some way long ago?_

"You… you destroyed me… you'll pay…"

_Now she's saying that I destroyed her? What the hell is that supposed to mean?!_

I yelled into my phone, "Okay, I want answers from you! Who are you?! What are you doing and why?! And what on earth do you want from you?!"

Ignoring my demands, the girl continued, "I'll make you SUFFER… I'll make everyone SUFFER…"

"Oh shut up! Why are you doing this to me?! Again, what did you do to my wife and kid?!"

...

...

...

"You're the evil one. I hate you."

The call ended after the girl made that last comment. She had hung up on me.

"What was that all about?!" I shouted to myself in anger. "What does this all mean?!"

Things are becoming more and more irritatingly confusing as I try to solve this goddamn mystery. I'm not getting any answers, and more questions just pop up as I go. Who is behind all this?! Why is this all happening?!

What am I supposed to do?!

_Sonic - March 23, 2036, 11:30 P.M._

I can't sleep. It's been about an hour and a half since I went to bed, and I'm still awake. I just can't help be feel anxious all the time. I'm scared about what's going to happen next. I want my family back. I want to find them now. I've been searching and searching ever since they went missing, but nothing ever comes up. Still, I won't stop until the end. I'm not giving up. That bitch on the the phone earlier better not be hurting my family. I won't let her do as she pleases. I will bring her to justice and make her pay for everything.

I still wonder who that girl is, though. Usually, it wouldn't matter that much to me, but what she said to me got me thinking. She sounded awfully familiar on the phone, but I can't exactly recognize her voice. She seems to have some sort of grudge on me, so I must have met this person sometime in the past. But who could it be? I can barely think up of anyone who would hate me enough to hold a grudge. Eggman's really the only person that I can come up with, but unless he can somehow alter his voice into a girl's he can't possibly be behind this. Besides, that ol' doc isn't _that _extreme.

So who could it be? Who could hate me so much that she would do these terrible things? I don't know. But finding out who is the least of my problems right now.

_Ding-dong!_

The doorbell rang. I got out of bed, went downstairs, and walked towards the main entrance.

_Who could be visiting me at this time? _I wondered. _Could it be Sonia again? I wouldn't be surprised if it was her._

I turned on the light outside the front door and looked through the peephole, I couldn't see anything. Suspicious, I called out, "Who's there?", but there was no response. So I unlocked the door and cracked it open, peeked out, and called out again. I still couldn't see if anyone was on the other side and there was still no response, so I fully opened the door.

There was no one at the entrance. Outside, I was met with near-silence. Only the sound of the wind was whispering through the air. I grumbled, "What is this? Some kind of joke?"

Annoyed, I shut the door closed and went back upstairs. I don't know what that was all about, but I seriously don't care enough to investigate.

Perhaps it was best if I did, though. Because what happened next was probably one of the most frightening experiences of my life.

I opened the door to my bedroom, I saw in the right corner of the room a girl in a red, tattered dress standing right in front of me. It's arms dangled like loose rope from its body, and its head was down, obscuring its face. It had pink hair and rotting, pale flesh. Upon seeing it, I trembled in fear. I backed up, readying myself to run, but it heard my footstep and raised its head. It looked directly at me with eyes completely white and devoid of emotion, causing more fear to run through my body.

The girl… that thing - who or whatever it was - she looked incredibly familiar despite her deceased appearance. But it wasn't long before I recognized her.

I couldn't believe it though. It can't be her. It's impossible. She can't possibly be alive! She died years ago!

"A-Amy… is that-" Before I could finish speaking, the girl stretched her arms out like springs, began choking me out, and then lifted my entire body up. It's grip on my neck was strong! I tried to break free, but I couldn't pry her hands off of me.

"Gahk! Please… let go!"

I flailed myself and used all my strength to try to escape, but I couldn't get her to release me.

"A-Amy… if th-that's you, then pl-please… let me go! I-I'm beggin' you, just l-let-"

A sharp pain went through my abdomen. The girl had pierced her other hand into me. I stopped struggling. I couldn't move my body. I felt the blood trickled down. The girl finally released her grip and dropped me.

"Amy… w-why?"

I lied on the floor in a motionless state. My vision is slowly fading, and I'm gradually losing consciousness.

Don't let me die. Please.


End file.
